"Oh, it was a first class start. Jim Inglis threw his pencil at Peter
Mackie."
"I hope he didn't miss," I said flippantly.
Mac ignored my levity.
"And then I didn't know what to do. My first impulse was to haul him out and strap him, but of course I didn't. I just said to the class: 'You saw what Jim Inglis did? You have to decide what is to be done about it'."
"And they answered: 'Please, sir, give him the tawse'?" I said.
Mac laughed.
"That's exactly what they did say, but I told them that they were governing themselves, and suggested that they elect a chairman and decide by vote."
"Bad tactics," I commented. "You should have left them to settle their own procedure. What happened then?"
"They appointed Mary Wilson as chairman, and then John Smith got up and proposed that the prisoner get six scuds with the tawse from me. The motion was carried unanimously."
"You refused of course?" I said.